


Another Hero

by The_Captain



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But there is some Tamriel, Camelot, Crossover, Gen, Magic Revealed, Mostly takes place in Merlin's universe, Multiple Universes Colliding, Skyrim - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-02-28 14:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13272939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Captain/pseuds/The_Captain
Summary: A strange, new dragon has entered Camelot, one with a dark purpose. The last Dragonlord will need to call upon the last dragonborn - an ally from another world to put an end to his reign of terror.What Merlin expects is a dragon warrior as easy to control as dragons. What he gets is much more unexpected.I haven't watched Merlin since 2012, maybe, so this is not based on canon. Merlin is the court sorcerer of Camelot in this, having revealed himself to Arthur sometime in the past.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey ya'll! This is my first story in the Merlin fandom and my first attempt at writing this characters ever. This is just an idea I've had for a while. I don't know how far I'll go with it but hopefully it'll be fun along the way.

There was something about listening to the people that Merlin liked. Their complaints and concerns could be petty, perhaps, but this was what a monarchy was really for. The government was there to serve the people, to protect them and to aid them in their endeavors. Arthur might complain, but Merlin was sure that the king enjoyed it, too, even if it was begrudgingly. Since his promotion to court sorcerer, or warlock depending on who was addressing him, Merlin had stepped up from the servants’ place, hidden behind the throne, and now stood loyally and attentively to the side, chin raised and eyes alert, waiting to weigh in on any issues of… magical  nature. 

There were times where Merlin missed being able to hide in the background. Once you get used to working in the shadows, it's hard to move so abruptly into the light, but it was what his king demanded, and the only way to help to bring magic back into Camelot. 

From her throne, Gwen caught his eye, and offered him a thin lipped smile before turning her attention back to the farmer who shook before the king and queen. The nervous man wrung his hands together, eyes fixed to the floor. He’d been standing before the throne for whole minutes now, not once uttering a word, and Arthur was getting impatient. 

“Speak, man,” The king said, leaning back in his seat. Merlin knew him well enough to hear the thinly veiled irritation in his tone. “I will hear your grievance, if only you would say it.” 

Gwen placed a gentle hand on his, and Merlin smiled at the movement between them. Any naysayer of their union could hardly complain. Their queen may have been a peasant, but she handled the court like royalty.  

“Please,” Gwen said, speaking much more softly, “Tell us, why have you come to Camelot?” 

The man raised his head, looking up, up to the Pendragons with an emotion so fierce in his eyes, it brought Merlin’s attention firmly to the stranger. Merlin tensed, clenching his fists at his sides and his lips pressed into a firm line. 

Something was very, very wrong. He could sense it. 

Without warning, the man collapsed to his knees. Beside him Gaius shifted, and Merlin glanced to his mentor. Gaius was clearly unsettled too, by the stranger’s demeanor, but it was difficult to overcome the need to help that came with working as a physician. 

“Gone,” the man finally spoke before anyone could act. Misery dripped from his very tongue, pooling in his voice and dragging the room down. “They’re all gone. Dead.” 

“Dead? Who?” Arthur shifted forward, concern in his eyes. 

“My family, my neighbors. Fire, god the fire.” Arthur did not have a chance to open his mouth before the man spoke again. “It came so fast. We couldn’t even fight it.” 

“What came?” Merlin spoke, voice rising up and filling the eerie silence that had swallowed the room in the break between the man’s words. 

“A dragon.”  

The room spun into an uproar of the likes which Merlin had never seen. Gwen’s hand moved to her chest, eyes wide with horror. From across the room, Merlin could see knights reaching for the swords, ready to dispel the chaos as lower members of the court and those who had merely come to witness the hearings were sent into a fit. Shouts of disbelief surged throughout the room, before Arthur’s voice, loud and clear, could be heard above the commotion. 

“Enough!” he boommed, and the room was silent. “Merlin!”

“What do you mean, dragon?” Merlin asked, eyes fixed on the farmer, who looked at him with terror. 

Though he had earned the trust of their king, the common folk were not so quick to follow. 

“Huge.” So not Aithusa. Kilgharrah could not have, would not have - “And black as night. It blocked out the whole sun. And when it shouted, the sky shook.” The farmer’s voice shook, too, as he described it. “What were we to do?” he wailed, “how could we defend ourselves against… against…” 

“Peace, friend.” Gwen’s voice, ever calm, rose up above his. She turned to Arthur.

“George!” Arthur barked, and the servant scurred over, ever present and ready to obey. “Get him to a room. You have my word, I will do what I must to see this threat taken care of. Everyone, out! Knights, with me. Gaius, tend to him. Merlin!” he commanded them to him with a wave of his hand. Normally, Merlin would joke, or complain but the terrified looks of the people were enough to keep him quiet as the left to the council room. 

\---------------

The round table sat comfortably in place where his father’s long table had once been. It suited his ruling style more appropriately. No head. No leader. Only equals.  

Merlin, of course, sat at his right. 

“Merlin,” 

“I’m telling you, Arthur,” The former servant rubbed his eyes, “A black dragon? I know of only two dragons in Camelot. One of them is a mere child, small and frail, and the other is Kilgharrah. Neither fit the description. The skies shook…” He trailed off, shaking his head. 

“Are you sure it’s not the Great Dragon?” Arthur pressed, jaw as firm as the glare in Merlin’s eyes at the suggestion. Arthur still didn’t trust the dragon. Not with the way the past was. It was hard to, even with Merlin’s assurance. Even with how much he trusted Merlin. 

“Kilgharrah cannot disobey me. As the last Dragonlord, my word is final. He couldn’t attack the people even if he wanted to. Not without my saying so.”

“Alright, so it wasn’t Kilgharrah!” Gwaine sighed, tension clear in his voice. The knight sat lounged in his seat, leaning as far back as he comfortably could, attempting to appear relaxed. Most knew well enough to see it was an act. “But if it wasn’t him, then what was it?”

Merlin looked around the table, eyes meeting each of the knights, before looking down. “I don’t know. But I intend to find out.” 

“Merlin,” Leon started, licking his lips and drumming his fingers on the table. As the only knight present to serve under Uther, he still retained the most mistrust in magic. Asking Merlin for help and advice, even now, was difficult. Arthur could hardly blame him, though he appreciated the effort his first knight put into trying. “Could you…  _ ask _ the dragon? See if he knows anything.”

“That is a good idea,” Gwen started, looking to Merlin. “Merlin, do you think you could contact him? Arrange a meeting?”

“Yes but -” 

“I want to be there,” Arthur cut him off. 

“Of course, you dolt. You can come, but let me do the talking. Kilgharrah has no tolerance for prats.” 

Despite the severity of the issue, Arthur almost managed to smile. Almost. Instead, he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest. “Maybe you could call him, and I’ll go meet him myself and lock you in the stocks for your big mouth.” 

“Oh, confident enough to face the Great Dragon alone now, are you?” Gwaine laughed, and beside him, Percival chuckled. 

“Quiet, Gwaine,” Arthur threatened. 

“Sorry, princess.”

“Should we come along, too?” Elyan asked both Merlin and Arthur, but Merlin answered first. 

“Yes - well, no. Not all of you. Too many knights while questioning about a dragon attacking villages might feel too much like an interrogation, but one or two should be fine. 

“Gwaine and Percival, then,” Arthur waved a hand. Though Leon could keep a level head, he knew the first knight would be uncomfortable in that situation, having faced the dragon in combat before. They had all met Kilgharrah once, when Merlin had first come out with his magic, but that was a tense enough meeting without allegations of pillaging villages being thrown around. Elyan could go, too, but when he needed to leave a knight behind, there was no one he trusted with Gwen’s safety more than her brother. 

“It’s settled. I’ll call him tonight.”

“We’ll ride out after sundown. Merlin, do try not to be late.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin could be a right terror when he wanted to. Or, even when he didn’t intend. It was hard for Gwaine to look at the scrawny boy he’d come to know as a friend and see a master sorcerer, but Merlin never seemed to have any qualms against reminding him of the fact. 

Even Gwaine shivered as the warlock shouted towards the sky. 

A glance towards Arthur revealed the king, shifting his weight from foot to foot and masking his discomfort with impatience. “Alright, Merlin. How long do we have to wait for your dragon?”

“I’ve only just called him you prat.” A wistful smile pulled at Merlin’s lips. “He could be halfway across Camelot. Have some patience.” 

“Ah, Merlin, look who your talking to!” Gwaine spoke loudly, gesturing to the king, “I don’t think the princess here has ever had to wait for anything in his whole life.”

“Quiet, Gwaine,” Arthur folded his arms over his chest, looking rather cross. Gwaine couldn’t help but smile. 

Beside him, Percival shifted uneasily, eyes to the sky. Percival, Gwaine knew, had always trusted Merlin, but it was hard for many man to be so sure in the face of a dragon. 

Wings on the wind distracted his thoughts. Reflexively, Gwaine reached for his sword, instinctually preparing for a fight that he knew wasn’t actually coming. He forced himself to let it go, least he be the one to cause trouble with the dragon. 

The very earth shook when the Great Dragon landed, and all but Merlin stumbled to steady themselves after the minor quake. 

“Kilgharrah,” Merlin greeted the dragon like an old friend, and Gwaine felt a rise of affection for his smaller friend. To be close with a  _ dragon  _ was no small feat. Of course, if anyone could accomplish it, it was Merlin. 

“Young warlock, your call was very urgent,” The dragon’s eyes swept over the two knights and their king. “Given present company, I can assume something grave has happened, and I believe I know what. Young Pendragon, all of Albion is in grave danger.” The intelligent eyes of the beast turned its focus to Arthur, who straightened his entire body in response, jaw tense and eyes focused. “And beyond Albion, the entire fate of the world lies in peril.” 

“What are you talking about, Kilgharrah?” Gwaine could hear the hint of irritation in Merlin’s voice. He’d spoken before of how the dragon likes to speak in riddles, and clearly the court sorcerer was not eager to puzzle out a warning tonight. “Have you heard of the dragon?” 

“Yes.” Kilgharrah replied, bowing his large head slightly and closing his eyes. “I am afraid this may be the greatest threat you have ever faced, or ever will face. He has come to destroy the world.” 

“Who is he?” Merlin pressed. 

“Listen well young warlock, Pendragon and knights. I will tell you what you need to know, but you are bound not to like it.” The dragon looked to the skies, checking for… something. Gwaine looked around too, searching for any threat, before his attention was pulled back to the Great Dragon. “Alduin has come.”

“Alduin? Is that the dragon’s name?” Arthur asked, clearly already tiring of the way the dragon seemed to dance around telling them anything. Gwaine couldn’t blame him for that. 

“Yes. Alduin, first born of Akatosh. The World Eater, and the doom of Nirn has found his way here,” Kilgharrah turned his attention back to Merlin, “Dragons were not always part of Albion.”

“What do you mean?” Merlin’s brows crossed on his forehead, giving him a confused look that Gwaine did not like to see there. Merlin was their greatest connection to all things magic in the world. If he was confused, it did not bode well. 

“We were not born of your earth but of another, long, long ago where dragons ruled like gods and enslaved the mortals who lived there. Alduin was our leader, born first of our father, the god of the sky,” Before, Gwaine would have never thought that a dragon could be so expressive, but there was a sorrow in Kilgharrah’s eyes that made him uncomfortable. “Alduin was cruel, and the mortals revolted. War broke out. It was…  _ gruesome _ . But Akatosh did not wish to see his children slaughtered, and he offered a select few of us a way out.”

“Out?” Gwaine couldn’t help himself. This talk of other worlds and gods was far above him.

“Yes, out. He opened a portal, to another world, and bid us to go through it. And we did. But this world was very different from our own. Magic does not function the same way in Tamriel as it does here. It is part of everything here. The earth, the trees, the humans. We adopted it into ourselves, too. Not long after was the first Dragonlord born, and from then, our place was here.” 

“So Alduin has come from your world to ours.” Merlin stated, eyes dark and expression grim. 

“Indeed he has, young warlock. Though I cannot say why. Millennia have past since I have left my home. What has transpired in my absence remains a mystery to me. But I did know Alduin in my youth and I can assume he has not come here for repentance as I have.”

“Can I command him?” Merlin asked, but the dragon shook his head.

“I’m afraid not. The power of the Dragonlord came from our adoption of the magic of this land. Alduin will do no such thing.” 

“So how do we stop him?” Arthur spoke, voice holding the anger and frustration of a man who felt trapped. 

The dragon breathed smoke through his nose, eyes closing. “There is a prophecy,”

“Shit,” Merlin muttered.

“In Tamriel, a hero would rise, born of the dragon blood and to defeat the World Eater, once and for all.  _ Dovahkiin _ , we called him. He could steal the very souls of the dragons he smote and take from their knowledge.”

“That’s there. We need to know how to kill him  _ here _ ,” Arthur pointed out.

Kilgharrah growled. “Patience, Pendragon. Merlin,” he turned to face the warlock, “you have grown strong and so has your magic. You will bridge the gap between worlds, and summon the  _ Dovahkiin  _ here.”

“How will I do that?”

“I will teach you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Please comment and let me know what you think. Next chapter will take place in Tamriel.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Throat of the World, something stirs in the wind.

“ _Dahmaan_ , _Dovahkiin_ , remember what I have taught you about _yol_.” Paarthurnax’s voice was like gravel, but Mera would not describe it as unpleasant.

She sat cross legged before the Old One, eyes closed and breathing deeply. Since her return from Sovngarde, she’d returned to the Throat of the World often to meditate with the master. Being there, so high above the rest of Skyrim, helped ease her dragon’s blood as well as her nerves. It was odd, knowing that her job was done. She had fulfilled her destiny. She had faced Alduin, the World Eater, and she had _won_.

_Are you sure about that?_ A voice nagged in the back of her mind, causing her to frown.

She had killed him. She watched as he fell from the sky, crashing into the ground and then…

Disappeared. He vanished, being swallowed by the wind and carried away. She had expected his soul but…

Perhaps it didn’t matter. He was gone from _here_ , and that was what counted, right?

" _Dovahkiin_ , you need to _morah_ , focus.”

“I’m trying,” Mera spoke through her teeth.

“And you _funt_ , fail. Tell me, what troubles you?”  

Mera chewed the inside of her lip, worrying the soft flesh as she debating airing her concerns. The old dragon could see right through her, if she lied, so there was no use in trying. She could simply tell him she didn’t want to talk, but…

“It’s Alduin. He…”

Paarthurnax breathed smoke from his nose, “Still, you are filled with _faas_ , you fear him even after _hin_ _krongrah_. Your victory.”

Mera closed her eyes and nodded, exhaling slowly.

“ _Hin onik lost faas_ , _onik ni ov qostiid._ Fearing him is wise. Wiser still not to fully trust prophecy so blindly. _Nuz,_ he is gone. _Praan, Dovahkiin._ You have earned your rest.”

“I didn’t take his soul when he died.” This slight haunted her. If the only way to kill a dragon was to capture it’s soul, how could Alduin truly be dead if she didn’t take his?

“Hmm,” the Old One hummed, the sound rolling from between his teeth. “Yes, I see how this _folooks_ , haunts you still. Alduin was no mere _dovah_ . He was the first. It is possible his _sil_ was, hm, _daal wah un bormah_. Returned to our father.”

Mera mulled over the idea. When the sky opened, and Alduin was pulled into it, she had assumed something Divine. Maybe Akatosh had retrieved his first born, in the moment before death, to keep him above in the heavens? It was hard to say.

“I think I’m done meditating for today,” she sighed, slowly getting to her feet.

“Yes, it grows late. Go, _praan, Dovahkiin_ . Return should you want to indulge an old _dovah_ in _tinvaak_.”

Mera bowed her head respectfully, rolling her shoulders before gathering her blanket off the ground. If she hurried, she could make it back to High Hrothgar before sundown. Since her her return from Sovngarde, she spent much of her time up on the mountain with the Greybeards. The time it took her to work up to defeating Alduin was exhausting, and she prefered to spend her time honing her skills and studying Dovahzul over bashing skulls with the Companions or stressing over the wealth of the Thieves Guild. Most everyone understood her desire to take leave. Vilkas has taken lead of the Companions, in her absence, and the senior members of the guild stepped up to share the weight of the Guild Master’s position. Taking a break was what she needed. _Praan, Dovahkiin_. Resting was what she intended to do.

“ _Lok vah koor!_ ” she shouted, clearing the icy harsh winds from in front of her so she could continue her trek down the mountain. The sun hung low in the sky, turning the horizon pink, orange, and yellow. With the howling wind under her control, the world was quiet, sound muffled by the layers and layers of snow.

“ _Dov-ah-kiin…_ ”

The hairs on the back of Mera’s neck stood up on end and a harsh shiver coursed through her body. She whipped her head around, hand moving to the blade at her hip and eyes searching for any sign of a threat.

“ _Dov-ah-kiin…_ ”

This time, she heard the whisper more clearly. She spun, other hand going to her left hip, and she drew both her daedric swords. “Who goes there?” She called to nothing, eyes wide as her skin crawled with unease.

“ _Dovahkiin!_ ” The voice was more insistent, harsh and male. Something hit her from the front, like a weakened version of her shout, lacking the final word. She stumbled back a step, twisting her body as it forced her closer to the edge of the mountain. She felt the panic rise in her chest. How many times had she been too impatient, too tired for a real fight, only to use _fus_ to throw an enemy off of a clif? The walkway here was too narrow.

“Show yourself!” She demanded, voice filled with anger to hide her fear.

There it was, the push again, accompanied by a pull, like a hand grabbing her by the shoulder and yanking her back.

She lost her footing on the ice, the breath being torn from her lungs in fear as she felt nothing, nothing catch her as she fell.

Falling, falling, falling. She flailed uselessly, trying to find the words to save herself. Paarthurnax, at the top of the mountain, could potentially fly fast enough to save her. She could use a shout. _Fiem_ , was thrown to the forefront of her mind. If she could become ethereal the pain would never come.

She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, ready to Shout, but then, sooner than she expected, her back connected with the ground, knocking the wind from her lungs.  

All around her was nothing, nothing, nothing but darkness forever. She scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as she gasped, unable to control the frequency of her breathing.

She had not promised herself to Sithis. This could not be the void. Mera refused to believe it.

_Breathe_ . She forced herself to steady her breathing. Panic would not help, not in this strange place. Her mind still raced with the possibilities. Evergloom, Hircine’s Hunting Grounds, Sovngarde, the Void. None of them seemed likely. Mera didn’t feel _dead_. With her left hand, she summoned a mage light and shot it up, towards the sky.

And it went up, up until she could not see it anymore.

" _Dovahkiin_ ,” the voice, same as before, called her, sounding like a whisper as it echoed around the dark space. She turned around, looking behind her, and she saw a light, shimmering and gold, in the distance. “ _Dovahkiin_ ,” it whispered.

She took a step closer towards it, her legs shaking with the adrenaline of her fall. Her footfall sounded hollow in the seemingly endless space.

“ _Dovahkiin_.”

It echoed again, sounding all around her, and she continued to move closer with hesitant steps.

“ _Dovahkiin_.”

Finally Mera stood before the source of the light. A paine, just wide enough for a person to step through and just as tall, hung there. She stepped around it carefully, finding it to be completely flat on one side, and almost invisible when she viewed it from that angle until she came around the back, where she could see it’s whole once more.

“ _Dovahkiin_ ,” it whispered her name. Slowly, she reached out, hand flat, and touched the surface. The pads of her fingers were swallowed by it before she pulled it back.

“ _Go, daughter_ ,” a new voice sounded from all around her. It was deeper, and somehow familiar. The words it spoke wrapped around her, warming her in this cold space. “ _You are needed, now._ ” It prompted her, and she closed her eyes.

“ _Dovahkiin_ ,” the other voice called, and now that she was standing so near, she could hear other, fainter whispers as well. Repeated chanting, like a strange incantation.

“ _Go_ ,” again she was prompted and a gentle warm breeze surrounded her, flowing towards the golden light, “ _Go_.”

Mera closed her eyes, and let out a long, slow breath. She lifted her right leg, and without any further hesitation, she stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter. Dovahzul is something I really like playing with, especially with Paarthurnax's speech pattern and loose translations. Unfortunately, this will probably be the only chapter that focuses completely on Skyrim, which is a shame because that is where I prefer to write, but it was fun while it lasted!  
> Can you guys guess who the warm familiar voice belonged to? I hope I didn't make that too confusing!  
> PLEASE comment if you like the story. I'm going by your feedback over whether or not I should continue!


End file.
